How To Turn Raspberry Pi Zero Into Reliable OLED Display

When you have $5 computer as tiny as a stick of gum, the possibilities can be endless, especially when you are creative with tech. The possibilities of what one can do with a Raspberry Pi Zero were challenged and stretched by one creative DIY guy recently. Frederick Vandenbosch found a way to transform the tiny computer into a reliable internet-connected information display, which can show just about any message you want.

To get stared, Vandenbosch said you need a few things, namely, a Raspberry Pi Zero, an Adafruit 128×64 SSD1306 OLED Display, an Edimax Wi-Fi dongle as well as two large push buttons. He also prepared an illustration that lets you see what connects where, but in case you need a better explanation, Vandenbosch says that you should connect the Wi-Fi dongle to the Pi Zero this way:

To keep things in place, you will also need an enclosure, which will only leave the power unit microUSB port exposed on the side. And in case you feel like printing your own enclosure, Vandenbosch also left a link to allow you to 3D print one.

Vandenbosch said this Raspberry Pi Zero internet connection information display is capable of displaying just about any kind of information, whether it’s your social media status, time and date or the weather. The software configurations to make this happen can be found here.

According to Lifehacker, the Raspberry Pi Zero can be bought at Adafruit and element14 in the U.S.

About Jennifer Ong

Jennifer Ong has been covering and writing stories since 1998. Over the years, she has worked on stories on business, health, lifestyle, entertainment and travel. She has also previously written shows for television.
When she's not on the job, she enjoys wine and Formula 1.